


Birthday Surprises

by lady_meatball



Series: A December to Remember [3]
Category: American (US) Actor RPF, Chris Evans (actor) - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gen, K C & the Sunshine Band, K&C, Romantic Fluff, birthday surprise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-10-27 05:37:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10802844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lady_meatball/pseuds/lady_meatball
Summary: It’s the countdown to Katie’s birthday, so she finishes up her last shifts at Starbucks and the salon and faces the last two weeks of singledom, but Chris has a surprise in store for her.





	Birthday Surprises

**Author's Note:**

> Warning- Brief mentions of miscarriage, fluff.

Inspo board for [Birthday Surprises](https://lady-meatball.tumblr.com/post/159702094955/via-ks-birthday-date-polyvore-im-working-on)

 

Thank you to all the girls that have sent encouragement-I know you missed these little meatballs, and thank you for being patient!

[Originally posted by ohevansmycaptain](https://tmblr.co/ZzVdmj2JxvwhJ)

_**BUZZ. BUZZ. BUZZ.** _

Startling awake, I rolled over and reached for my phone on the nightstand; quickly, I turned it off, setting the device on the comforter next to me.

“ _Last fucking day…_ ” I croaked while scrubbing my hands over my face and digging my fingers in the corners of my eyes to loosen the crust of sleep. It was one final shift at Starbucks, followed by a few hours at the salon in the late afternoon followed by dinner and drinks with Rita as my farewell send off.

I groaned as I rolled out of bed to get dressed, knowing I’d have enough time to swing by the apartment to freshen up before heading over to Rita’s later on.

It was one of the mornings I worked a true opening, starting at 4:30AM, so when I walked up to the front door of the cafe, I knocked on the glass and tried to catch somebody’s attention to let me in out of the cold so I could get a cup of coffee before clocking in.

Three faces turned to see me, all breaking into big smiles while one person broke away to come unlock the door.

“Hey girl! Last day!” Char said in a burst of energy; she was in her early twenties, very proud of her Filipino heritage, talked a mile a minute and her witty sense of humor was even quicker! “Are you gonna tell me the _REAL_ reason you’re leaving? _Hmmm_? Don’t think I don’t know…”

Laughing, I could only smile at her once I broke the hug she gave me.

“I told you all…an opportunity came up that I just can’t pass up!”

“And would that ‘opportunity’ happen to wear a super suit and spend half his time in Boston?” She asked, lips pursing as she gave me a narrowed eyed once over. “Don’t think I didn’t see those pictures on Instagram…you and him…over Thanksgiving…”

I couldn’t deny what she’d just said, so I just smiled, trying to not blush.

“ _I knew it! **I win the pool!**_ ”

“Pool? You guys had a _**betting pool**_?” I asked, incredulously; Char only nodded.

“So, where you moving to?” She asked, speaking a mile a minute like only she could, “L.A? Boston? You gonna remember us little people when you’re getting snapped by paparazzi and become famous?”

“Don’t you need to go home and get some sleep?” I asked, teasing and trying to deflect, “Or go work out?”

“Naw, man…I gotta tell you goodbye! And then I gotta go study…I got finals later.”

I knew something was up right then and there, because the two ‘openers’ and the other two ‘overnighters’ stood waiting for me to walk into the back room; I took my time in getting a glass of ice water and my coffee before migrating to the double hinged doors, with five people in my wake.

A balloon bouquet, flowers and a cake sat on the folding tray next to our managers desk.

“ ** _You guys_**!” I exclaimed, genuinely touched they, as in our entire team, had done this for me. I felt my eyes starting to well up as my emotions took over, and Char was first to put her arms around me.

“I’m gonna miss you, Katie in the Morning!” She said, voice cracking slightly at the mention of the nickname she and her overnight supervisor had given me. Leaning her face back and pushing her oversized glasses up her nose, Char added, “Girl, hook it up…you know we all about the Marvel movies here!”

“I’m gonna miss you too, Boo.”

* * *

The rest of my shift was one big blur of telling my usual morning regulars farewell, slinging food from the warming station and telling my coworkers goodbye…the ones that hadn’t been scheduled to work with me, most had popped in to say a few words and give me a hug.

As 10 AM rolled around, my manager had pulled me from the ovens a few minutes early to get her moment as well as snap a couple of pictures with the flowers, balloons and what was left of the cake to be posted to our stores Instagram page.

“I love you all…” I called from the front door, arms stuffed with the goodies they had given me, trying to fight getting emotional yet again before I slipped out the door and headed home. I managed to park my car, climb up the stairs and get inside before I broke down.

Digging out my phone, I called Chris, and after two rings he answered, voice deep and groggy with sleep.

“ _‘Ello?_ ”

“They threw me a fucking going away party…” I sobbed into the phone, dropping my bag onto the carpet just inside the door. “They threw me a goddamned party, and people that weren’t even on shift came in, and my fucking regulars brought me shit…”

“Babe…it’s okay.” Chris cleared his throat. “They love you, Kay, of course they threw you a going away party…I’d be really concerned if they hadn’t!”

I walked into the kitchen, setting my four bundles of flowers in the sink to soak the stems until I could find something suitable to put them in, still crying and becoming an even bigger wreck.

“I don’t know if I can handle going through this again in a couple of hours, Chris…I’m a wreck right now…” I confessed, wiping my eyes. “Everybody’s making it seem like I’m dying, that I’ll never see them ever again, and it’s just…too much.”

“You’ll regret not saying goodbye to the crew at the salon, babe…I know you will.” He sighed into the phone. “And besides, from what you’ve told me about Rita, if she sees it’s too much for you to deal with, she’ll tell you to go…and besides, you just have to get through the rest of today, and you’re done! Tomorrow’s your birthday…you have a special delivery to look forward to…no more 3:45 alarms…”

“ _You’re right…_ ” I sniffed, wiping my eyes with the sleeve of my sweatshirt.

“Did… _did you just admit I was right_?” Chris asked, a smile apparent in his voice. Sniffling loudly, I cleared my nose before talking.

“Don’t get used to it…” I laughed rather soggily as I wiped my face. “It’s just… _so overwhelming, when people focus all their attention like that on me_ …I don’t ask for it…”

“Welcome to my world, Kay…you’re gonna have to get used to it, unfortunately, the good and the bad…you’re lucky, these are people that love you, that have been blessed to get to know the wonderful, caring, loving woman you are…I wish I could say it’s always gonna be like that, but I can’t.”

“I know…the comments online have been pretty nice so far, but…I don’t expect that to last forever, especially once we get married and the jealous fan girls come out of the woodwork more than they already have…” I sighed before apologizing, “I’m sorry I woke you up.”

“It’s okay…I’m yours to wake up, remember?”  Icould almost picture the lazy, sleepy smile lifting the left side of Chris’ mouth, his eyes still closed while barely awake as he talked me down from the emotional ledge I had been rapidly approaching. “But I’d much rather you were in bed with me, sleeping right now…”

“Me too.” I agreed. “I better let you go so I can get a few things done around here before I have to hop in the shower and get put together for the salon…sorry I’m such a pain in the ass, Chris, I’m all over the place thanks to my hormones right now…” I admitted as delicately as I could, not wanting to delve right into that topic with him still partially asleep, but I heard rustling from his end of the line, telling me he was ‘waking up’.

“It’s been a month since…” He asked, voice more alert than a second before, “ _Haven’t you…?_ ”

“Not yet…” I said quietly, shaking my head slightly. “I called Dr. Hildebrand’s office a couple of days ago…to schedule my appointment for early next week and to check if this was normal after going through what I did…-” I explained, taking a deep breath before continuing, “-they said I shouldn’t be alarmed, but if I haven’t started by New Year’s, then I should be concerned.” It was so strange discussing my somebody other than my doctor or even my mother, but with the frequency of these conversations and the countdown to marrying Chris, the novelty was wearing off. “It’s coming…that much I know, ‘cause like I said, I’m all over the map with hormones and emotions…”

“I’m sorry, Babe…” Chris said softly from his end of the phone, sounding sad.

“Nothing you can do about it, Big Guy…” I smiled, wiping my eyes of the last of the tears as I admitted, “I foresee a lot of chocolate, a lot of cupcakes, and a lot of champagne in my future tomorrow…I just wish I could spend it with you. Not even doing anything, just cuddled up, watching movies, taking naps…”

“Is that an **_official_** birthday wish, Kay?” Chris asked softly.

“I mean, it’s not gonna happen, you’re flying out to Florida this afternoon, but, yeah… _that’s_ what I would wish for…” I explained, leaning back against the kitchen counter.

“Doesn’t mean I can’t try to make this a birthday you’ll remember for the rest of your life, Kay…” He told me before saying, “Okay, go grab something to eat and get ready to take a shower so you can get going…don’t want to be late for Rita, right?”

Reluctantly, I said goodbye and went about getting spiffied up, leaving for the salon a few minutes later than I had planned, but it was my last day, and I knew Rita wouldn’t make a big stink about it.

* * *

Walking into the shop, another big balloon bouquet and a beautiful arrangement sat waiting for me on the reception desk, followed by a chorus of the voices calling out to me. The overwhelming love being shown to me was too much, yet again, and I clapped a hand over my mouth, fighting back tears.

As it turned out, that block of a couple of hours Rita had wanted me in for was so I could enjoy the ‘going away’ party and once she shut down the salon earlier than normal, the real reason became apparent…she wanted to throw a combination farewell/birthday party and once the two employees I hadn’t gotten on very well with bounced out of there, she called for the real fun to begin, and before I knew it, I wore a crown and sashes were being put on me, proclaiming ‘Bride to Be’ and ‘Birthday Girl’.

“Rita, I _can’t wear this_ …” I said in a low voice, plucking at the ‘Bride to Be’ sash.

“Not outside, no…but while we give you a bridal shower, you can bet your ass you’re wearing it!” She smiled proudly. Rita knew that I couldn’t and wouldn’t be able to do any of the ‘traditional’ benchmarks a woman soon to be married enjoyed, not with who I was getting married to being such a high profile man in Hollywood, but thankfully, Rita on a rampage was more terrifying than the scariest lawyer with the scent for blood, and the girls present had been sworn to secrecy.

The party had gone from late afternoon well into the evening, with trays of homemade enchiladas brought in by one girl’s mom, to another having trays of Chinese and Hawaiian food delivered as the mood shifted from ‘farewell’ to let’s have one last hurrah before they took me out. 

* * *

[Originally posted by vhs-ninja](https://tmblr.co/ZbROXn2GWohxS)

“No…we are not…” I said as the blue, purple and teal neon of the Rio grew closer and closer as Rita drove her car into the right lane to pull into the resort’s valet.

“Oh yes we are…I knew Thunder was a no go, since it’s that jackasses night to perform…but how can you say no to cuffs and bowties, mija?”

Shaking my head, I could practically hear Chris now… _’Really? Chippendales? I thought you were over all that, babe?’_

“I can say ‘no’, because I happen to have a man that looks pretty fucking fantastic in a bow tie and nothing else, Rita! He’s not gonna be too happy hearing about this…”

“If he puts up a stink about you enjoying a night out with your girls…the last night you’re gonna have with us for what I assume is going to be a very long time…then I need to sit down and have a talk with Mr. Movie Star.” She spouted off as she put the car in park and turned off the engine with a brow arched high. Turning to me, she poked her finger at my arm, “ _He’s_ around all those beautiful women all the time, in the films he makes, at photo shoots, and everywhere else, and _you_ don’t cause a scene about it with him…it’s a two way street, you learn that along with picking your battles…why do you think George and I have lasted through three kids and almost thirty years?”

“Because you’re soulmates, and maybe just a little bit because of the _sex_ …” I laughed. Rita looked at me, eyes googling slightly but a smile cracked her face before she winked at me.

“ **Damn right**! Get him hooked and he won’t **ever** think of straying.” She said as a uniformed man opened her door, offering her a hand out; another man appeared next to me a second later. “Alright, you ready to see some oily beefcake?”

Taking a deep breath, I rolled my eyes, asked for strength to make it through the rest of the night with Rita and the other stylists, and hoped Chris wouldn’t be too unhappy when I told him in the morning…

[Originally posted by paperfrankster](https://tmblr.co/Zje81q_J4XgA)

It was nearing three in the morning when I finally dragged into my apartment, flowers, balloons and leftover food trays in my arms.

Getting the food stuffed into the fridge, I added the new flowers to the pile sitting in the sink and headed down the hall to wash my face, and finally crash but not before getting a chance to check my phone.

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Just wanted to be the first to say that…love you Princess X**

Glancing up at the clock in the center of the top of my screen, I sent back a quick response, figuring he was probably dead to the world with the promise of an early start on top of jumping ahead three hours to open the Magic Kingdom with his family due to wake him up in the next hour…his niece and nephews would be the excuse but I knew the entire family would be beyond excited to get on the first ride.

_**Thank you, wishing my Prince Charming was here to kiss me goodnight. Love you too X** _

[Originally posted by singmovie](https://tmblr.co/ZgNG0j2EjstTn)

The incoming text made his phone vibrate on the nightstand at the same moment the alarm went off, waking him from the nap he took before having to finish packing and head off the hill  to the airport for his flight to Vegas.

Scrubbing his eyes, Chris reached for the phone to turn the clock off and check the messages waiting for him.

He saw the message from Katie and smiled at her choice of words, knowing she’d be beyond surprised in a few hours when he woke her up. There was a couple of messages from his mom and siblings, and the latest was from Tyler, Katie’s former co-worker and Chris’ concierge at Caesar’s, confirming when Chris’ plane landed since he was picking Chris up to help with the last minute items that needed to be procured upon landing…

The Bob Hope Airport in Burbank was in no way on the same scale as LAX, but at 5AM, nobody expected him to be at the check-in counter for his 7AM flight so he relaxed under the cover his baseball cap offered as he tucked away his papers and made for the coffee shop in the terminal once security deemed him safe to pass, needing something to eat and something warm to drink while waiting for his plane to arrive.

It was an hour long flight, and Chris had been lucky, having an empty seat next to him. It was still early, so most of the ‘party’ people wouldn’t be up and flying just yet, for which he had been extremely grateful…nothing like the loud, obnoxious tourists starting the party on the plane and spotting him, so he pulled his Guns ‘N Roses cap low and closed his eyes to catch a few more winks.

[Originally posted by edigarledezma](https://tmblr.co/ZZ9IVs1c-RHJl)

The bells and whistles of slot machines greeted Chris as he stepped out of the gate, and in that moment, he could feel his heart pick up, starting to race slightly at the impending surprise he had planned for Katie. Blowing out a deep breath, he pulled his cap lower, pushed his shades back up onto the bridge of his nose, and headed off towards arrivals pickup, not worrying about waiting for checked baggage as he had Josh ship out the items for Katie’s presents overnight to Tyler the day before, and Josh would bring his suitcase to Florida with him for Chris’ arrival Saturday.

Chris stepped out of the climate controlled airport, scanning the vehicles for his ride; he adjusted his backpack and fidgeted with his hat and sunglasses, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible while waiting for Tyler to pull into the arrivals lane. He only had to wait a couple of minutes before a blacked out Corolla pulled up with personalized plates, the trunk popping as the driver’s window rolled down smoothly.

Bending slightly to look inside, Chris smiled.

“Hey man! Thanks for picking me up…”

“No problem, man…sorry I’m a little late, got caught in traffic! There was an accident on the freeway, but I know an alternate route to get us where you want to go!” Tyler said cheerily as he stuck his hand out the window to shake Chris’ in greeting. Pointing to the trunk, he added, “Just the backpack? Nothing else this trip?”

“Naw, just this…she’s got some of my stuff at her apartment anyways, so…” Chris laughed as he moved to stow his bag in the trunk and round the car to jump in the passenger seat; the sound of early 00’s alt. rock met his ears when he opened the door and folded into the seat.

“Sprinkles? Then…?” Tyler asked as he pulled away from the curb, merging into the flow of traffic at the airport.

“The grocery store by your old store…she said she wanted champagne, so…I guess I’m buying bubbles.” Chris laughed; Tyler chuckled next to him in the driver’s seat, clicking to the next song just as they circled around the airport and headed north, towards the Strip.

* * *

It was almost 10 AM by the time Tyler dropped Chris off at Katie’s apartment, reassuring him that he’d be back the next day to drop off her presents before heading into work for the afternoon.

Backpack slung over his shoulder, Chris held the bottle of champagne nestled in the crook of his left arm, holding the straps of the reusable bag from the grocery store which contained the other three boxes of single cupcakes and one lone boxed cupcake in his hand, he jogged up the stairs to Katie’s apartment on the balls of his feet, making sure to keep as quiet as he could manage to not alert her on the off chance she was awake, but given he hadn’t gotten a call or text from her yet, he was fairly certain she was still asleep.

Fishing his phone from his pocket with his right hand, Chris got situated, putting the bag with the cupcakes on the ground on one side, while his backpack got dumped on the other and the red bow Tyler had shoved at him before climbing out of the car got stuck to the front of his sweatshirt.

* * *

“ _IT’S MY DICK IN A BOX! MY DICK IN A BOX GIRRRRL…_ ”

Jumping out of a sound sleep, I groaned, “ _ **Noooooo…**_ ” I had been so out of it, I didn’t recognize the ringtone I had set for Chris until it started up a third time.

Grabbing it before it vibrated off the stand, I unlocked the screen before bringing it to my ear.

“ _Hello?_ ” I croaked.

“Did I wake you up, Birthday Girl?” Chris asked from the other end, a soft snickering coming through the line.

“ _Mhmm…_ ” I hummed, voice deeper than usual, frozen from sleep as I rubbed my eyes in the dim light sneaking into my room from around the blinds and curtain covering the window; the door was shut, and the stand fan along with the ceiling fan blocked most of the noise from outside allowing me to enjoy my lay in long past 4AM.

“What are you still doing asleep, babe? It’s almost 10:30, your special delivery should be arriving any second now…” Chris chuckled, “Come on, up out of bed, Sleeping Beauty…just ‘cause it’s your birthday, doesn’t mean you get to sleep the day away, even if yesterday was your last day getting up before the ass crack of dawn…”

“I didn’t get home until almost three this morning…” I yawned, my face scrunching up in the process while I stretched, and the blissful relief of my stiff body loosening up after the last chunk of hours spent in one position allowed me to start the process of waking up. “Rita and the girls threw me a ‘Going Away’ party that turned into a ‘Bridal Shower’ that slipped into a ‘Bachelorette Party’…they dragged me to Chippendale’s…I didn’t want to go, but they weren’t taking no for an answer…the only naked man I wanna see from now on is you. At least with you, I can touch the goods and not have to worry about some stranger getting handsy…”

“Only when I’m drunk…”

“Yeah, only when you’re drunk.” I agreed as I pushed the blankets off my body and sat up, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and into my shearling lined slippers; Chris made fun of them, because they looked like something his grandfather would have worn, but they kept my feet warm, which was a miracle in and of itself. “One of these days, you’ll have to wear a bow tie and cuffs and nothing else for me…” I teased as I moved to the door to start coffee, after a stop to empty my bladder.

“Seriously, babe?” He asked, somewhat incredulously. I shouldered my phone  to my ear and pushed my cotton leggings down to do what needed to be done.

“Why not? I give you lapdances…and I love watching you shake your ass…one of these days, _you’ll_ have to put on a show for _me_ …” I smiled, speaking softly as another yawn escaped me.

“ _Wait_ …what are you…are you… _peeing_? While on the phone with me?” Chris asked a moment later, the hollow tinkling sound having been picked up by the microphone.

It had become a running joke between us, that he didn’t stop our conversations for anything, even evacuating the contents of his bladder or bowels, having reached a level of comfort most long time couples haven’t achieved after years together when we had only been together less than a week, while I was more discreet on such matters, wanting to maintain some kind of mystery in the relationship and Chris teased me endlessly whenever he caught me red handed, just like now…

“ _Shut up…_ ” I mumbled, embarrassed at being caught. “I **_JUST_** woke up…you know my bladder is the size of a thimble…”

“Miss _‘I’m a Lady…I don’t do that!’_ …you’re full of shit…are you gonna hurry up or what?” Chris chuckled, “You have a special delivery to check for on your porch, I was told ‘guaranteed’ delivery between 10 and 10:30 this morning…”

“So bossy when you’ve been awake hours longer than me and ridden Space Mountain a couple of times, aren’t you? How’s Disney World by the way? You having a good day so far?” I asked as I clumsily went about finishing up my business.

A series of loud knocks sounded from my front door and I looked up, eyes wide at the open bathroom door, muttering a soft, “ _Shiiit._ ”

Chris snickered softly through the phone as I sent a dirty look at my phone before yelling, “Hold on, just a second! Be right there!”

“It’s been good so far…it’s sunny, clear, a little on the cool side considering the location…been going nonstop since my alarm went off this morning…” He told me as I pulled up my pants and headed out to check the porch for his ‘special delivery’, but he soon asked, “Did you flush? _I didn’t hear you flush_ …did you wash your hands? That’s gross…”

“I only peed, it’s sterile…and I’ll wash my hands after I check the patio, since _SOMEBODY_ won’t get off my ass about checking…” I growled as I sprinted to the door, turning the lock and opening the door.

“I’m sure the delivery guy would appreciate that…” Chris said in stereo through the phone pressed to my ear as he mirrored my pose, standing on my welcome mat with a shit eating grin on his handsome (and tired) face. “ _Happy Birthday, Baby…”_

Clapping my free hand over my mouth, I dropped my phone, tearing up as the realization he was standing right in front of my sunk in; launching into his arms, I couldn’t hold back the tears, and broke down, crying happy tears on my front porch.

“Are you surprised?” He whispered next to my ear, pressing gentle kiss to my cheek and temple as I sobbed, still clinging tightly to his neck.

“Uh-uh…” I grunted, nodding before swallowing a lump of emotion in my throat, saying, ”…you’re supposed to be in Disney World! You’re here…” Leaning back, I moved my hands from around his shoulders and neck to frame his face, brushing my thumbs over his cheekbones and the top of the hairline his beard started from; Chris’ eye were glazed over with emotion as he stared back at me, a soft, warm smirk lifting one side of his face. “What are you doing here?”

“I couldn’t go to Florida, not when you wished for cupcakes, champagne and cuddles for your birthday…” He told me softly, rubbing the end of his nose with mine tenderly; moving his arm from around me, he held the bottle of champagne up for me to see before bending to the side and lifting the bag for me to look inside. Four boxes of Kraft brown cardboard sat inside with Sprinkles stickers staring up at me.

I felt the lower portion of my face pinch again as I got emotional all over once more, tucking my face into his neck to cry.

“ _I love you, you big moose_ …I honestly don’t know what I did to deserve you…and I can’t wait to marry you…” I choked out in between sobs, clinging to his sweatshirt, never wanting to leave that moment.

“I couldn’t miss spending your birthday with you…not when we won’t be together for Christmas…” He whispered against my temple where his lips were pressed; his free arm rubbed up and down the expanse of my back, in my thin tee I had slept in, the cool winter air was starting to affect me, making me begin to shiver slightly in his arms. “Hey, come on, let’s go inside…you’re cold, I’m cold, and I gotta piss…”

I stepped back, out of his embrace and bending to grab the bag of goodies before turning and heading back inside with Chris right behind me.

“Babe, give me the bottle, go use the bathroom, I’ll meet you…”

Turning at the end of the counter, I headed to the fridge, looking back at him, my hand extended for the champagne as my brows furrowed at his puzzled expression; Chris had stopped at the corner that separated my living room from the kitchen and dining space, brows furrowed in confused concentration while scanning my apartment.

“What is **_that_**?” He asked, hand lifting to point at the tree.

“ _Huh_? _What_?” I asked, confused until I followed his line of sight and found him staring at my Christmas tree, his eyes narrowing to focus of the decoration. The heat of a blush warmed my cheeks, and I bit my lip, embarrassed. “ _Oh_ … ** _that_**. _Ummm_ …you _weren’t supposed_ to see _that_ …” I admitted sheepishly as I ducked my face.

Chris stood planted, staring at the white artificial tree covered in patriotic ribbon, Marvel ribbons, and decorated in different ornaments designed like the various Avengers, but most were different Captain America ornaments and memorabilia I had collected in the last five years or so…a few non-Marvel ornaments dotted here and there on the tree, but it looked like shrine to his most famous role.

Slowly, his face turned away from the tree to look at me with his forehead raised high while he continued to point at the object in question.

“You were talking to me while you were putting this up…and you didn’t say a damn word… _wow_ …” Chris observed, shaking his head in the tiniest way from side to side. Turning to glance at the tree once more before looking back at me, he blurted, “ ** _REALLY?!_** _Come ON!_ ”

“ _In my defense_ -” I said, trying to stifle my sudden onset of giggles but failing as I held my hands high in the surrender pose, “-it’s _**not**_ like I was expecting you to show up on my front door mat! If I knew you were going to _see_ my tree, it wouldn’t have been done up quite like _that_!”

“It’s a **_FAHKING_** shrine!” Chris barked and I giggling into my hand. “I’d be a little worried if I didn’t know you as well as I do, babe…I’m not gonna lie, that’s more than a little creepy!”

“It was my _ **last**_ opportunity to decorate **_my_** tree solely how ** _I_** wanted, Chris!”

His heavy sigh was all I heard, laced with amused displeasure at my fan girling over him; he didn’t like being the subject of such attention since he faced it everyday from his fans, but the hint of a sparkle in his eye told me he appreciated knowing I had such a massive crush on him before we found ourselves in this whirlwind relationship.

Eyeing me, he handed over the bottle when I reached for it, but went back to shaking his head.

“ _Honestly_ , I _wasn’t_ expecting you to show up and surprise me, Chris! I just wanted to get it out of my system…I can take it down if it makes you uncomfortable, but that was _never_ my intention…” I apologized as I stowed the bubbles in the fridge and closed the door, moving to stash the boxes of cupcakes on the counter for later. Walking back to him, I stopped in front of his body, snaking my arms around his waist and tipping my face back to look up at him, saying, “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable, baby…”

“You’re too fahkin’ much sometimes, you know that, right?” He smiled down at me; I grinned right back, nodding in agreement.

“So are you, Mr. ‘ _Shows up on my front porch to surprise me on my birthday…_ ’” I said, standing on tiptoes to press a soft and sweet kiss to his lips. “Go pee, get settled, and come crawl back into bed with me…if I remember correctly, we have a date with Scrooge McDuck and the Rescue Rangers…”

* * *

The rest of the morning and beginning of the afternoon passed in a bubble of nostalgia as we laid cuddled up in my queen sized bed watching cartoons from our childhoods, only getting up to use the restroom, change the disc in the Blu-Ray player or grab snacks as we went on adventures with Scrooge and his nephews, Chip, Dale and the other Rescue Rangers, and flew the Sea Duck with Baloo and Kit.

“Babe…” Chris said, calling Katie’s attention from where she laid snuggled against him; her fingers had slowed considerably from the reassuring pets she trailed over his chest and stomach, and it took her a few seconds to register his voice, but eventually Katie tilted her head back to look up at Chris, and his chest tightened at the sight before him.

Barely able to to keep her eyes open or keep the small smile from curling the corners of her mouth, Katie was blissful…and Chris was sure that if he buried his fingers in her hair and starting massaging her scalp, he’d hear her purr in rapturous delight.

“ _Hmmm?_ ”

“I wanna take you out for dinner. Where do you wanna go for your birthday?” Chris asked, enjoying the cocoon of intimacy they shared in that moment, but knowing if he didn’t ask now and get the ball rolling, the chance of getting a table at one of the nicer restaurants became more and more minuscule…”Let’s go out, have a nice dinner, walk around…I bought you cupcakes, but we can always make another stop at the ATM if you want…”

Katie squeezed his waist in a tight hug before shifting to prop herself up on one elbow; leaning over his sprawled out form, she reached for her phone to check the time.

“Holy crap, it’s already four…” She exclaimed, alarmed at how quickly the day had passed…she didn’t know he’d slipped out of bed twice to change the disc. Looking away from her phone to the TV and back to Chris, Katie smiled sheepishly before quietly saying, “And when did Duck Tales turn into Tale Spin?”

Chris chuckled, his left hand lifting to scrub over his face as the sudden urge to yawn overtook him.

“About forty…forty-five minutes ago…you were out for the count there for a while Tinkerbell…”

“It’s _your_ fault.” Katie grinned as she leaned down to press her lips to his gently before pulling back to settle against Chris’ side. He raised an eyebrow in question, his face telling her to go on. “It’s the Evans effect… _you_ take over the majority of my bed and _I_ can’t keep my eyes open…”

“I don’t know if that’s a compliment or not, Kay…” Chris laughed. “Do you want to go out tonight? I know you’re comfy, and you said you wanted to spend the whole day in bed, cuddling, and we have…can I spoil you a little, babe?” He asked softly, reaching to brush his fingers along Katie’s cheek and jaw.

“Well…” Katie drawled, smiling wide as she nodded her head the tiniest amount, adding, “It _IS_ my birthday after all…”

Chris couldn’t help but match her shit eating grin; she finally relented and gave him the okay to dote on her. Skating his right hand along Katie’s hip, Chris moved quickly, pulling his arm away to knock the blankets back and allowing him to land a solid slap to her backside.

“Hey!”

“Only twenty-eight more to go, Birthday Girl!” Chris laughed heartily. “Come on…I have to go see if I can call in a favor, maybe my guy can work a miracle and get us a table at Mr. Chow’s.” Chris said as he patted her ass softly a couple of more times as he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before moving to untangle from her hold and climb out of bed.

Katie stretched, moaning and groaning in protest of moving but soon followed him out of bed, heading towards the bathroom.

“I guess I should jump in the shower if we’re going out and start getting ready…” she yawned, shuffling towards the door; looking over her shoulder, she called to Chris, saying, “Make it quick and I may let you join me.”

“Don’t tease me…” Chris smiled.

“Call it incentive…come on Captain Cute Ass, the water won’t stay hot forever.”

* * *

[Originally posted by mlife](https://tmblr.co/ZFP7Bi2HObpV1)

“Well, this sucks…”

Turning my face, I raised a brow at Chris, questioning him to elaborate.

“I wanted to treat you to a nice meal, in a romantic environment…” He frowned, mouth scrunching up to the left side as he sighed heavily from just behind my head, which I just barely caught when I turned my head to look at him. “I get points for trying, right?” He asked, trying to lighten the gloom that had settled over him when he got called back to inform him that Chris’ usual concierge at Caesar’s couldn’t work a miracle this time.

I couldn’t hold in the huge smile that spread over my face, reaching my hand up to touch his cheek as I answered, chuckling, “A+ for effort…I’ll have to dig out a gold star sticker for you when we get home…”

The sidewalk around us was beginning to fill up the closer it got to the volcano erupting on the strip-side, showcasing the Mirage’s demonstration of awe amidst all the other free attractions.

Chris’ soft laugh sounded next to my ear, growing slightly louder as he crowded closer, coming to press against my back as his arms wound from my waist.

“ _Yeees_ …I **_love_** gold stars! They’re **_almost_** as good as dinosaurs…”

Leaning my head forward, I smiled down at the cement, covered in stains that used to be chewing gum and spilled alcohol.

“ _Nerd_.” I laughed, shaking my head while rubbing my hands over Chris’ jacketed arms.

“Oh, I’m sorry, are you new around here?” He laughed, squeezing me affectionately, nuzzling into my cheek as a group of people pushed through the crowd gathering around us, knocking into Chris’ shoulder and jostling us into the barrier. Chris disengaged from my face, whipping towards the loud group of drunken frat boys pushing each other down the sidewalk towards Caesar’s, yelling, “ _Excuse you_ … ** _FAHKERS_** …”

“Hey…don’t.” I said, tugging Chris back around towards the landscaping, “They aren’t worth it, and you can’t afford to be recognized picking fights…I’m fine, you’re fine…let’s just enjoy our night…maybe it will keep me distracted from getting older.”

Chris let a chuckle loose at my last remark, shaking his head in amusement as he said, “Oh yeah…you’re _such_ an old lady, babe. Early bird dinners and Depends from now on, right?”

“ _Very funny…_ ” I smiled, pinching his wrist under the cuff of his jacket and flannel, kindly reminding him, “If you’re putting me in diapers already, then by all means, **_you_** should be in the ground…you’re **_ANCIENT_** compared to me, baby!”

“ ** _Hey_**!” Chris exclaimed, laughing as he squeezed me tight, giving my body a playful shake, “Just ‘cause it’s your birthday, Sassy…”

The accent lighting on the face of the volcano vanished, signalling the beginning of the short show, and I couldn’t help smiling, hugging Chris’ arms and ‘shhing’ him as I focused on the sight before us.

“Shh…it’s starting…”

“For being a corpse, I sure do wear your fine ass out…don’t ‘shh’ me, woman…” Chris chuckled, pulling his left arm loose from my grasp and managing to land an awkward swat to my ass. “Twelve down, seventeen more to go, Tinkerbell…”

Smiling as the atmospheric lights and smoke gave way to the first blast of flame erupting into nearly thirty foot flames atop the rocks, I wiggled my ass back into Chris’ groin, earning his hum of approval and a series of affectionate pecks to my cheek as he wrapped his arm back around me for the five minute production.

_“I love you, Birthday Girl.”_

* * *

The volcano show was quickly over, and moving on, Chris lead Katie north to catch the sight of the Pirate ship in the lagoon outside Treasure Island before crossing over to the Palazzo and the Venetian. Since his original plan of dinner at a ‘nice’ restaurant had fallen through the cracks, they decided to just go with the flow, and wander the Strip until they stumbled on something that piqued their interest.

Walking on the outside, closest to the street, Chris would have preferred to walk closer, with his arm around Katie’s shoulders, and her arm around his waist, but with the sidewalk crowded thanks to scaffolding taking up a good chunk of the walkway, he knew holding hands was easiest to navigate and move through clumps of people.

The closer they got to the tall ship, the more he saw familiar faces pop up, advertising the pop-up interactive museum showcasing various articles from the Avengers line of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He new it was pretty cool, having been in town earlier in the year just before it had opened and was given a preview. He knew Katie had spoke of it often, and had gone over the summer, just after the exhibit had opened and he was just waiting…

“Ya know what we should do?” She asked, a mischievous grin spreading over her face in the glow of LED lights.

Turning his head just slightly, Chris’ mouth lifted at the left corner.

“I’m afraid to ask…”

“We should go buy and say ‘hi’ to the shield…” She giggled.

“How did I know you were going to say that…” He sighed, catching a large group barreling down on them out of the corner of his eye and dropping back to fall in line behind Katie, tipping his face downwards to help hide his profile while he gripped her hips as they snaked through the people.

“Because I’m a little shit, and it’s fun teasing you.” She called back over her shoulder, snickering.

“But you’re _MY_ little shithead…and just for that…” Chris smiled, landing another smack to her denim covered backside, adding, “Magic number 13…Nope, we’re not going into T.I…I’ve got something else in mind.”

* * *

The sight of the beautiful Christmas and winter displays inside the luxury shopping of the Palazzo and Venetian became the focal point of discussion as we walked from one resort to the next. The oversized displays were gorgeous in whites, icy blues and silver showing huge peacocks in various degrees of poses; walking along the upper level, Chris pulled my hand, leading me to a stores display window full of sparkling jewelry.

Raising an eyebrow, I smiled a tiny smirk as I looked from the baubles in front of me to Chris, asking, “ _Spa’klies?_ I like spa’klies…”

He laughed, both brows lifting his cap off his head.

“ _Well, well, well_ …this sure is a different tune from two months ago when you yelled at me for even thinking about buying you something expensive!” He laughed heartily before I stuck my tongue out at him and punched his bicep softly.

“ _A lot_ has happened in two months…” I reminded Chris quietly, a sudden tinge of sadness settling over me as I thought back over ALL that had happened.

“ _I know_ , babe…” Chris whispered, leaning forward to kiss my temple as his arm pulled me to snuggle into his body like the perfect puzzle pieces we were. “I haven’t found you a ring yet, because I don’t know what you’d like, and not knowing what you’d like to be wearing for the rest of your life, well…it’s like looking for a needle in a hay field. I don’t know where to start looking, so…help me out?”

I tilted my head to the right, watching him for a brief moment before a smile curled the corners of my mouth.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re up to something, babe-” I said quietly, “-but I can also see it in your eyes…you’re afraid of picking the wrong ring…”

Half of Chris’ face lifted in an embarrassed smirk, nodding his affirmation.

[Originally posted by ohevansmycaptain](https://tmblr.co/ZzVdmj2JdtTDB)

””Ummm…yeeeeah.” He laughed nervously.

“Chris…” I sighed, reaching for his hands to hold, looking him square in the eye to tell him, “I don’t know why you’re so stressed, _when_ have I **_ever_** been so high maintenance that you can’t trust your instincts? You always… ** _ALWAYS_** manage to hit the mark whenever you’ve given me **ANYTHING**. I trust you, and I know that I’m gonna love whatever ring you pick out…”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Kay, but…” He smiled down at me, leaning in towards my face, “-just show me what you like, babe. That’s all I need to know.”

I could feel the way my face changed expression, from the warm and loving gaze I was leveling him with to the open mouthed shock at his admission, all the while silently laughing.

“Look at you, **_Mr. Sassy Pants_**!” I proclaimed, shaking my head in amusement; he could only grin like the Cheshire Cat, shooting me a wink before reaching up to tap the tip of his finger to my nose. “ _Hey_!”

“ _You_ aren’t the _only one_ in _this family_ that owns a pair of sassy pants…” Chris chuckled, tapping the end of nose a couple of more times.

“Oh, I’m **_well aware_** of that by now, Chris-” I laughed, grabbing his finger and stopping him from continuing his assault on my face as I leveled him with a raised eyebrow, “-the clan Evans is just like the Amerios and Frye’s…overly dramatic and packed full of attitude…”

His head tipped back, and the magical sound of my Bostonian meatball laughing all the way down to his toes rang out, accompanied by his hand lifting to clap against his chest, all the while unaware he was doing his ‘signature’ move.

[Originally posted by loki-silver-tongued-god](https://tmblr.co/ZbQTtp1fp7p-b)

“What gave it away?” He asked on a giggle; his eyes were crinkled and he had laughed so hard that tears were clinging to the corners of his eyes, so he wiped them away while trying to get himself back under control.

Looking up at him, I grinned.

“ _Scott._ ” We both said at the same moment, making each other crack up all over again before Chris looked around and tugged my hand into the store to window shop.

Walking into the high-end jewelry store, Chris knew they wouldn’t be left alone for long, and the greeting was almost instantaneous; he gave a small grin, lifting his free hand to acknowledge the man behind the counter while Katie waved and said hello.

“Anything I can help you with this evening?”

“Just looking…” Katie smiled.

“Well, I’m right here if you have questions or would like to see any of the pieces.” The employee said before going back to the paperwork he had been so intently focused on just a moment earlier. Katie took a quick second to look at the glass cases, tugging Chris’ hand to get his attention and tilting her hand in the direction of the engagement rings and wedding sets.

Settling in, Chris looked over Katie’s shoulder as she scanned the contents of the case.

“That one’s nice…” She said quietly, pointing at a round stone in a solitaire setting.

“It’s soo…-” Chris drawled, looking for the right word and deciding he had to just go with the only word he could come up with to describe this ring. “- ** _plain_**. No…that’s **_not_** going on your finger…next!”

Katie rested the heels of her palms on the edge of the glass, turning to look at Chris, her brows furrowed as she leveled a glare at him.

“ _Whaat?_ ” He asked, his own brows lifting in confusion. “Babe, _that_ ring does **_NOT_** look like you. I can’t see you wearing that for the rest of your life and being happy about it.”

“You asked me to point out what ** _I_** like…that was what I was doing before you interrupted.” Katie calmly stated with a pointed look and Chris swallowed, licking his lips. “Are you gonna let me finish now?”

“ _Sorry…_ ” He mumbled, “Go on, babe.”

“ _As I was saying_ …it’s nice, it’s simple, it’s understated. Not too showy…”

“ _Not you._ ” He muttered under his breath and she sent another narrow eyed glare of irritation his way. Lifting his hands high, he surrendered.

“Maybe we shouldn’t be doing this right now…I’d rather not get into a fight with you on my birthday.” Katie sighed before pushing back from the case to turn around and walk out of the jewelry store, but Chris caught her wrist, halting her in her tracks.

“Babe…please don’t do this again…”

“ _Chris…_ -” Katie began on a loud, exasperated sigh, but realizing they were in a store with the possibility of ears being anywhere, she lowered her voice to finish, saying, “-I _don’t_ want to fight, not tonight…so you either let me do what you asked me to do without the commentary, or we’re moving on.”

“I’m sorry…I know I asked you to show me styles you like, but…I know you, babe…you’re **not** the _‘simple, understated, not too showy’_ type of girl…” Chris parried right back, standing firm in his view of that first selection she had pointed out, “I mean, I’d like to think I know you well enough to know with surety that _**THAT**_ isn’t your ring, Kay…”

“And just what are _**YOU**_ picking out?” She asked, brows pushing her forehead high again.

“I don’t know…but it’s definitely **NOT** that one…” He grumbled; lowering his head to rub his hand over the back of his neck, Chris noticed she had one of the prize pieces of her personal collection on-a gemstone cocktail ring that her mom had passed down after Katie’s father had passed away and they went through his belonging, finding a thin band of gold with tiny diamonds clustered around a whopper of a stone she had claimed to be a purple gradient tourmaline. It was pretty in an unexpected way, catching your attention with the unusual stone and the sheer size.

Pointing at her right hand, Chris said, “What about something along those lines?”

Katie lifting her hand, examining her family heirloom for only a second before responding.

“ _This_? I mean…I like the shape of the stone, the band is a little on the thin side for my taste…but I’ve always loved this ring.” She admitted, pointing out the aspects she really liked and the ones she would want to improve upon. “I guess, if we’re talking about ideals…I’ve always been attracted to cushion or Emerald cut stones…all my costume and cocktail rings have that kind of stone set in them…and even though this one is gold, I wouldn’t want my wedding set to be gold…”

“What would you like?” Chris asked genuinely curious, and inwardly sighing in relief now that the bomb seemed to be defused and he had her talking.

“Since you know me so well, you should already know…” She said, her face full of mischief and sassiness with her small smirk and lifted brow paired with her cocked hip and crossed arms.

Chris inhaled deeply, releasing it in heavy, slow sigh before running his tongue over his teeth and lifting his right hand to smooth his facial hair.

“ _Gaaaahd_ , you can be a stubborn, infuriating woman sometimes, ya know that?” Chris stated, watching his fiancée closely, shrewdly, noting her own returning challenge. “Why do you have to do this? Why do you have to challenge me over the most minute details and trivial shit at every turn, Kay?”

Her face faltered from the glare, telling him she hadn’t been expecting him to let that slip, and a smile spread wide as her posture softened.

“Because somebody has to…you’re mom said it herself, you don’t hear ‘No’ often enough…”

“Not even married yet and you’re already conspiring against me with Ma…”

“Not exactly-” Katie grinned, pulling her hand from his to pat Chris on the chest, adding, “- _you_ pick at _my_ raw nerves just as much as _I_ pick at _yours_ …Ma just points me in the right direction to get a reaction out of you when it’s needed.” Katie sent him a wink and asked, “Well, are you going to give me any clues as to what _YOU_ are leaning towards, Mister?”

“No.” Chris told her, shaking his head ever so slightly, echoing Katie’s dug-in stance, knowing he’d irritate her. “It’s gonna be a surprise, like it should be…and I wanna prove to you that I know _YOU_ well enough to pick out your perfect ring…” Nodding his head back at the door, Chris sucked his teeth briefly, grinning inwardly at her narrow eyed glare and unimpressed snort, he extended his hand, adding, “Come on, Tinkerbell, let’s go…I think I know what will make up for me fahking this up…”

* * *

I had learned early on in our relationship that nothing was outside the realm of possibility with Chris when it came to romantic gestures, but getting pulled into the line for a ‘private’ gondola through the Venetian’s canals wasn’t something I expected to happen anytime soon, let alone on my birthday…then again, this was the man that made me believe he was in Florida for his family’s Christmas time tradition all the while planning to show up and surprise me for my birthday…

The sounds of gondoliers serenading their passengers in the canals mixed and mingled as our boat drifted along; Chris, normally not being too keen on overly showy displays of affection in public, seemed to throw caution to the wind and had closed the distance between us once he settled into the cushioned seat next to me and let the atmosphere take over, kissing, nuzzling and touching me as the man guiding us around the waterways did his best attempt at emulating Pavarotti whilst singing ‘O Sole Mio’.

“ _What’s got into you tonight?_ ” I whispered as I pulled back a hairsbreadth from Chris’ mouth. “ _What happened to ‘No PDA cause we’ll get caught’?_ ”

“ _It’s your birthday, and I want to kiss you while this yutz serenades us…_ ” Chris smiled, the smart ass frat boy slipping out just a touch as he pulled my face back to his for another kiss.

_“I don’t think he’d appreciate hearing you call him a yutz, Chris…”_ I breathed, smiling as I delayed and dodged his lips to make him work just a little bit for another kiss. “ _I mean, yes…he’s not Pavarotti, but he’s trying…_ ”

“ _Shut up and come here, this is turning me on more than I thought it would…_ ”

I couldn’t hold in the giggles, and gave in, leaning into his embrace to enjoy the first time Chris willingly wanted to act like a couple in public thanks to the light crowds and the amount of distractions happening around the open air market the canals wound through.

[Originally posted by lasvegas](https://tmblr.co/ZssSyl1YeM62E)

After the impromptu makeout session, we headed south, out of the Venetian towards the Linq complex; we made a stop at the cupcake ATM, picking up two more cupcakes to munch on as we walked back to the Strip, but turned into the Flamingo to get a better look at the gardens and the chapel set back inside them, where we’d be getting married in just over two weeks.

The goal once we got our fill of the grounds was the Miracle Mile at Planet Hollywood, further down the Strip; I mentioned there being a great burger place in the mall, and Chris agreed that burgers and more booze was a great idea as the night grew later.

The walk had been entertaining, with the drunk college kids celebrating the end of the fall semester all around us, allowing Chris and I both to laugh at the antics unfolding around us; Chris, being the sweet and amazing man I had fallen in love with, had insisted I bundle up in his jacket as we walked. Upon walking into the Miracle Mile, Chris steered me towards the Sephora at anchored the Strip-side entrance.

“Babe? What…what are you doing?”

“I figured you’d want to go in…” He said, confused but grinning.

Taken aback, I blinked up at him for a count of three blinks.

“You _hate_ going into Sephora.”

“But I love you, and I know you love it…I’m sure there’s something in there you want, go get what you want…”

Grinning, I shook my head, telling him, “There’s not really anything I need…”

“How about something you **WANT**? There’s gotta be something…” He cajoled, a tiny smirk lifting the left side of his face.

I scrunched my shoulders up towards my ears, making a face as I shook my head from left to right.

“Not really…this year’s Christmas collections aren’t shit, to be entirely honest…the only thing that has really caught my eye has been sold out since the moment it launched online Black Friday.” I admitted sheepishly, “I have all the stuff I need and can use for a long while in my personal collection…not even counting the makeup in my work kit…”

“You’re not making it easy for me tonight are you, Kay?” Chris laughed, sighing deeply; I covered my mouth as a chuckle slipped out of me. “Babe…I’m trying to spoil you on your birthday, and you just keep blocking every shot I try to take…”

“I’m sorry…” I laughed, shaking.

“No you’re not…brat.” He smiled down at me, the sparkle in his eyes telling me he at least found this whole situation amusing. “Come on, let’s eat. I’m hungry.” He added just as his stomach gave a loud growl of approval.

Smiling, I tried to hide my chuckles, but failed as I reached over, patting his flat stomach under his layers of cotton and flannel, I laughed, “I can tell…”

Sitting at the table eating burgers and drinking beers, Chris couldn’t help but keep peeking out the front entrance, behind Katie, eyeing the shop across the corridor throughout the meal; the countless times he’d come to Vegas over the years, with all the tattoo shops he’d seen advertised and passed, he’d managed to not bring new ink home with him…but just like all those times he HAD added new decoration to his body, he got that sudden surge of needing to spend time under the needle as they walked past the shop front and now he felt the itch as he picked at the last of his fries.

A napkin bouncing off of his forehead startled Chris out of his daze, and he looked at Katie, forehead lifted high, asking, “ _What_ , babe?”

“I asked what you were thinking, and you were lost in your own world-” Katie smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes, “-everything okay?”

She was in top form, knowing he had lapsed into thinking about the loss they suffered in the last month.

“Just thinking…thinking about…” He started to say, but caught himself before saying more; Katie’s hand reached across the table, squeezing his hand reassuringly, telling him without words that she knew exactly what he had on his mind.

Cocking his head to the right, Chris ran his tongue over his teeth, bucking up the nerve to broach the idea that circulated inside his mind, gaining momentum from the second they walked in and ordered their meals at the counter.

“We should get tattoos.”

“You wanna get tattooed? Tonight?” She asked, confused as she watched him carefully. “Right now?”

Chris nodded, squeezing her hand just like she had only a moment before.

“Yeah…I think that’s how we should end the night…” He admitted, a somber grin lifting the left corner of his mouth slightly, “Finish off this chapter of our lives and start the next one ready to face anything…”

Katie mirrored his pose, cocking her head to the side, watching him quietly as she seemed to look right through him, down to the bottom of his soul; it took a few very long beats, but she eventually squeezed his hand again, smiling lovingly across the table, saying, “Alright…what do you have in mind, Boomer?”

* * *

The hum of the tattoo machine had lulled me into a relaxed state, my eyes closing of their own will after the first few minutes. I was laid out on my right side, relaxed to a state of meditation as the young man working on my new piece powered on through the most intricate part of the design, while Chris was two stations over, in the same position, voice drifting in and out of my ears as he shot the shit with his artist.

Walking in, he seemed to have a general idea of the design he wanted, and after a twenty minute consultation once we signed the paperwork and met with the two men that would be work on us, Chris and I hammered out the final details and they went off the polish up the template, returning fifteen minutes later and escorting us to their respective chairs to get prepped and down to work. We sat down at half past eight, and it was nearly midnight when my artist, a kid named Robert, called to wake me up as he wiped down my side and applied the first round of aftercare salve.

“All done…wanna see how it turned out?” He asked, smiling as he added, “Dude, I’m surprised you slept through most of that…most chicks I tattoo on the ribs are squirming and fidgeting…”

“After a while, I didn’t feel a thing…” I yawned, “Until you got the bottom finished up anyways…that was a little uncomfortable…it was the same when I got my other tattoo. Those bottom ribs, man…those hurt like a bitch!”

Robert just chuckled as he cleaned up his station, taking his gloves off as I moved to sit up. “Yeah, they are…you’re a trooper, I wish all my clients passed out like that! It would make tatting ribs a hell of a lot easier, that’s for sure.”

“Thanks, dude.” I smiled, holding my hand up for a high five before accepting the hand mirror to take a look at the new ink wrapping around my memorial tattoo for my father.

“Looks like Billy’s just finishing up…let’s go check out your ink together with them before we get you guys taped up.”

Walking over, Robert and I waited at the foot of the reclined chair as Chris followed my lead, sitting up and standing once his artist wiped him clean.

“How you feeling?” I asked.

“Fine. You?” Chris grinned, knocking his bare shoulder into mine, inclining his head towards the long mirror hanging from the wall. “Let’s see what we got ourselves into.”

We moved to the glass, getting lined up, his front to my back, and got our first looks at the newest art gracing our bodies. Seeing the different shades of blues, teal blank and green that commanded your attention was a shock at first, but it acted as gravity, telling me that things were definitely ‘real’ in regards to our relationship…the beautiful peacock feather tat we both now wore on our left ribs showed we matched, tying Chris and I together, but the smaller details were the things that really anchored the heart and meaning that this tattoo was based in-the combined thumbprints that matched the one in the shape of a heart in the plaster marker we had made over Thanksgiving sat at the end of the feather, a floating dandelion tuft drifting away represented our precious little spark without overtly giving anything away.

Seeing the reflection, I felt my eyes begin to tear up and Chris’ right hand rested on my hip as he touched his forehead to my shoulder, trying to reassure me.

“Hey…don’t cry. Not here, Kay…” He said, but I could hear his sudden inhale, trying to quell the stuffiness in his nose, telling me he was fighting as hard as I was to keep it together while out in public. His scruffy face pressed to my ear, whispering before he kissed my cheek, “It’s real now…keep it together until we get home and I’ll hold you and we can cry, but until then…I love you, Tinkerbell…Happy Birthday.”

After leaving the tattoo parlor in Planet Hollywood, Chris saw the quiet reserve that held Katie in its grasp, and decided that the night was over for them; walking back up the Strip, he held her hand, stroking her thumb in their quiet companionship.

The dancing fountains of the Bellagio were in the midst of a show just ahead of them, having crossed Las Vegas Blvd. to walk back to Caesar’s and Chris asked softly as they paused to catch the last few minutes of the lights and music accompanying the sprays of water, “You’ve been awfully quiet…what are you thinking about?”

“It’s real now.” Katie admitted, glancing away from the water to smile somberly at Chris, breaking his heart, “It’s really real now…you, me…what happened…what’s about to happen…I’m just trying to wrap my head around everything, that’s all…”

“You’re still happy though, right?” He inquired, surprisingly more nervous than he had realized before. “You’re still happy with me? With us?”

Turning, Katie pushed her arms under the flannel of his longer shirt, wrapping her arms around his waist while gazing up into his eyes, saying, “I’ve never been as happy as I am with you, ya big moose. I love you, more than anybody else I’ve ever known…and somedays I wake up and don’t know how I got so lucky to have you, to share the rest of my life with you and most importantly, start a family with you…I love you Boomer, and you’ve made this the best birthday I’ve ever had, just by being you…”

“Ditto…” Chris smiled, leaning forward, touching his forehead to hers once his hat was pushed up to sit on the top of his head. “It’s not your birthday anymore, but…I still have a few more spanks to give you and I owe you birthday sex…”

“You spoil me…” She grinned, rubbing her nose with his.

“You’re finally letting me…” Chris pointed out, laughing.

“I don’t have a choice!”

Chris’s hand lifted, coming down to land a solid swat.

“No you don’t…” He proclaimed, rubbing his hand over the flesh to ease the sting before adding, “Twenty-four…five to go…come on, I think it’s time to get out of these clothes and enjoy what’s left of your birthday celebration, babe…”


End file.
